Season the short ribs with salt and pepper and dust evenly in flour. Set aside.

Roast onions until golden brown in butter, add carrots. Mix with a wooden spoon. Set in the short ribs, bone up, so they are equally immersed in the carrot/onion mixture. Add stock and wine. Place herb springs atop the ribs.

10.24.2010

With the recent gift to self of a dutch oven, I've been looking for and found beautiful things to make, including this one. I followed most of the recipe, however my rub of choice was thyme, rosemary, garlic and only 1 tbsp of salt.

As a side dish, celeriac puree (1 celery root and 1 potato) was a great, rich accompaniment.

As I stood over the display of jicama in the grocery section, I was trying to equate it to something I knew...at least in texture. Sure, I've had it before, but never really used it in anything original. So, my description to those who haven't had the pleasure; think texture of an Asian pear with a raw potato / apple taste, but tastes a lot more appealing then I make it sound.

This swordfish simply marinated in lemon juice 15 minutes before grill time, begged for something refreshing and bright. I made a mango caper chutney which was just a perfect amount of sweet and salty.

Peel 1 ripe mango and 1 ripe tomato and use the medium side of a box grater to puree. Roughly chop 2 tbsp of capers. Mix and enjoy with your grilled swordfish.

I made these for E - her first pumpkin! She loved them and kept referring to them as her little "cakes". The ingredients are basically that of your favorite pumpkin pie filling baked in individual ramekins. This is mine...slightly adjusted...

It was sad to pick the last fruit last night off the tomato plants. With frost predicted overnight, I needed to do something with these otherwise they'd fall wastefully to the ground. I haven't pickled before it's very similar to the recent stint with butter pickles.

10.17.2010

Mix the dry ingredients together, add water and twirl once with a spoon to combine (or with a tiny hand).

Let sit for ~15-20 hrs. Fold the dough over itself on a floured surface and place on a floured tea towel for 2 hours. Half hour before baking, heat a cast iron pot with the lid in the oven at 450. Place the dough into the HOT (the 2 yrs old was napping at the time) pot and cover with lid. Place back in the oven for 30 minutes, remove the lid at that point and bake another 15-20 to get the nice rustic crust.

There are many different, yet very simple versions of this recipe (I highly recommend to check them out) and mostly lack of work = longer rising time to get the awesome, ciabatta like center with crispy crust worthy of our the last vacation!

10.05.2010

A simple lunch can be amazing when shared with someone special, regardless of what it is. But, if that same lunch is spent outdoors, on a gorgeous fall day in Paris...well, there are few things that compare.

September in Paris is unique. As are the freshly baked, crispy baguettes filled with brie, jamon and apples. This sandwich is from Paul, a local boulangerie chain, as is the Cannelle. It's hard to imagine that "fast-food" as such can be up to par with the best of Michelin experiences.

10.03.2010

The bistronomy movement is big in Paris, and apparently in Nice as well. The general rejection of Michelin as a form of rating and the desire of chefs to be closer to their patrons has taken a stronghold over the past 5 years. Reading a few of the more popular French food blogs before the trip, I found a plethora of delicious info on where to go and what to eat. A general who is who of the bistro community is almost as well known as the Michelin rating system itself, at least to the locals and foodies. Most of the chefs have been trained by a superstar, such as Alain Ducasse, as is the case of Luc Salsedo namesake restaurant we dined at in Nice.

The menu here changes every 10 days, is is thus very seasonal by nature. To put things in perspective, it is not the most amazingly creative food, however the execution of the beautifully written menu lives up to its advertisement. The food is perfectly cooked, the technique is great and the ingredients incredible.

The waitress, one of the two in the restaurant, was great, and spoke to us candidly about the Michelin "scene" and the chef's desire to do something different. "Michelin is a mafia of sorts", she said and asked if we were in town for a few more nights. She recommended a few restaurants, that share the camaraderie of same approaches and extend their own network of epicurean experiences.

After realizing how difficult it is to play it by ear in the Paris dining world, because we wanted some spontaneity in our trip, we went on a dinner hunt around Luxembourg Gardens, reading through menus posted outside the numerous establishments. A lot seemed to play to the tourist notion of French food, with less then creative version of the standards. It was just when L was jokingly eyeing Quality Burger as an option that we came upon La Bastide Odeon. The menu looked incredible, but what really peaked our interest is the waft of slow cooked food and warmth, when the door opened. The restaurant was full, so it seemed unlikely but the Chef was willing to seat us if we were willing to wait a mere 15 minutes. Standing outside, we couldn't resist a little googling of our choice.

Hubby ordered Creamy soup of artichoke with dry figs and ginger bread, goat whipped cream, followed by Sea bream fillet and black olives, roasted pumpkin and grilled “chorizo” sausage and I had the Roasted pork breast (a very direct translation of Pork Belly) cooked in a covered saucepan, raw and cooked parsnip salad (pictured). Just thinking about the pork belly now makes me hungry - the sauce was exquisite. After some struggle with the translation, I found that it was cooked down meat jus with a bit of honey and cumin, that reached the viscosity of cream.

We couldn't agree on just one dessert so we had both the Rhubarb tiramisu and the pictured, baked to order, traditional millefeuille with vanilla cream. The picture does not do it justice, this was a six inch high cloud of delicate pastry.